There’s nothing worse than having to spend hundreds or thousands on an eBike only to have problems with its battery. Don’t get me wrong; e-bike batteries are built to last - but they’re still prone to failure if they aren’t adequately taken care of during their lifetime.
What happens if your battery fails?
Well, in this article, I’ve covered some most common eBike battery problems and how to fix them. So, if you’d like to know more - keep scrolling!Ebike Battery Problems
When it comes to eBike troubleshooting, there are a couple of things that might be causing your battery problems, including:
eBike battery pack swelling
eBike battery not charging
eBike battery not running for very long
eBike battery pack not holding a charge
eBike not turning on
eBike not speeding up
Don’t worry, though - I’ll walk you through each one here!
eBike Battery Pack Swelling
If your eBike battery pack is swelling up, well, you likely have a pretty serious problem with one - or more - of the lithium-ion cells.
Some electric bike models use flat pack cells - and these are known to swell if they suffer some damage. On the other hand, the 18650 lithium-ion cells are far more resistant to swelling and, in turn, more reliable.
If you notice that your eBike’s battery pack has a bulge in it, be sure you turn off the power and carefully remove the battery from your eBike. It’s a good idea to recycle the battery; most cities have a place where you can do this.
Now, some eBike battery packs are positioned inside the bike’s frame. That makes it somewhat harder to notice if you have a swollen battery pack.
The only way to check if the battery is swollen is to drop the lower plate and take out the battery pack. Note that you’ll have to disconnect some cables before you do this.
eBike Battery Not Charging
If your battery isn’t charging, start by checking the following:
- Is the power turned on at the outlet?
- Is the charger working and outputting over 36 Volts?
- Is the battery hot?
- Is the battery charger port full of dirt?
- Has the battery been left discharged for several months?
- Has the fuse blown in either the eBike battery pack or the charger?
eBike Battery Not Running For Very Long
That is entirely normal - and will, unfortunately, only get worse as time goes on.
Still, if you’re charging your bike every few days, you should be able to get many years out of your electric bike before you begin to notice the capacity of your battery is starting to degrade.
If you notice your eBike battery isn’t running as long as it used to, check the following:
- Is the battery pack being charged to 100%?
- Do you have a dragging of a disc brake?
- Is the terrain uphill?
- Are you assisting your battery by peddling?
- Are your eBike’s wheel bearings freely spinning?
- Do you have a short circuit in the battery, wiring, or motor?
Any of the scenarios mentioned above could lead to your battery discharging rather quickly.
eBike Battery Pack Not Holding A Charge
Lithium-ion batteries are good at holding a charge. However, like any other type of battery, they will slowly discharge over time.
If your eBike hasn’t been charged for a more extended period, it would be a good idea to give it a top-up - and see how it goes.
If you notice that you’re charging your battery, but it still discharges quickly without being used, you might have a short circuit somewhere or a faulty battery at your hands.
Here’s a quick test that can detect the problem:
Remove the battery pack from your eBike and charge it up on a bench. Once it’s fully charged, test the battery by leaving it off the bike.
If it holds a charge, the issue will be your electric bike - most likely a short circuit in the bike's wiring or the motor. However, if it doesn’t hold the charge, your lithium-ion cell is faulty.
How Do I Know If My Bike’s Battery Is Charged?
Your battery charger will probably feature a LED light indicator that changes states depending on the bike’s battery level. It’ll go from red to green when the battery is fully charged in most cases.
However, in some chargers, the LED light will turn off completely when the battery is charged.
Either way, the point remains the same - you’ll have a way to track the progress while charging the battery.
Remember not to leave the battery pack on the charger longer than 24 hours, though.
Lithium-ion batteries don’t prefer being left on the charger. In the short term, this won’t hurt - but after a while, the battery’s capacity will go down.
You’ll also have an indicator of the battery’s current level on the battery pack itself or the speed controller. Some will use a 0-100% range, while others have a series of LED lights, depending on the model.
eBike Not Turning On
Let’s start with the obvious solution:
If your e-bike isn’t turning on, be sure to check if the main switch is in the “On” position.
Next, check the fuse for the battery pack. This fuse is usually located on the side and could blow up because of short circuits, vibrations, over-current, or old age.
If the fuse is in good condition and the battery pack is fully charged, check if the speed controller is in good condition, as well. The speed controller is the component that sends signals to turn on the battery pack.
These speed controllers could malfunction if damaged - either by dropping your bike or allowing water to get into them.
Hold the bike's “On” button for about 10 seconds to force the speed controller to turn on. Some speed controllers are turned on by pressing the “M” button. Again, it depends on the e-bike model you have.
Be sure to check that your battery pack has at least two bars of power. An extremely low battery power level can lead to your electric bike not turning on, by the way.
Another thing to check here is that the electrical cables are correctly connected. Sometimes, the dirt roads can dislodge the cable connections; this is often the case with mountain electric bikes.
Water can find its way into these connections, too. Pull them apart and ensure the connection is tight.
eBike Not Speeding Up
There are numerous reasons why your electric bike isn’t speeding up.
More often than not, the feedback magnets - positioned on the pedal crank or the rear wheel hub - for the proximity switch get dirty. Clean them with a rag, and you should be good to go.
This common eBike battery issue is often wrongly diagnosed.
Most quality electric bikes feature a switch on the back and front brakes to stop the drive motor. In some cases, these switches can get stuck - leading to their failure. Activate both brake levers a couple of times to try and free up the switch.
To check the limit switch, though, you might have to remove the whole rear or front brake lever. That’s another reason why you should avoid leaving your eBike out in the rain.
Also, while it might sound obvious, be sure to check if you’re in the proper mode - for example, pedal-assist, throttle-only, or pedal-only. I’ve sometimes found myself in the wrong mode, and I couldn’t figure out why my eBike isn’t speeding up.
There is typically a minimum speed that will activate the drive motor. That is just a safety feature - and it’s usually around 1.8 mph.
What Speed Are eBikes Limited To?
eBikes are limited to 25 km/h - or 15.5 mph - to conform to the majority of road rules around the globe. Once the motor reaches this speed limit, it will stop providing power further.
Of course, you can still pedal faster than 25 km/h, but you won’t get any assistance from the main motor.
Once the speed controller recognizes that you’re under 25 km/h, the battery management system will again supply power to the main motor. That is a standard component on most electric bikes - and, again, its role is to ensure that you conform to road rules.
Is 250Watts Enough For An eBike?
In most standard cases of use, 250W is more than enough power for you to ride your eBike on asphalt or dirt roads casually. A 250W drive motor is usually limited to 15 mph and can handle up to 240 pounds in rider weight.
If that doesn’t sound impressive, remember that you can always assist the main drive motor by pedaling.
You can always upgrade your bike with a Bafang conversion kit, though!
Conclusion
We can agree that e-bikes have come a long way since their first appearance. Granted, battery problems can occasionally happen, but most can be solved easily and quickly.
Hopefully, the tips I’ve outlined above will help you keep your eBike running fast - and for a long time. And remember:
The most significant danger to batteries of eBikes is excessive heat and low voltage. Make sure you keep your eBike battery topped up - and it will last for a very long time.
Hi
I just bought a new e bike
First time i have used it all was fine
When i wanna charge it for 1st time there has been no charge sept by the battery.
The charger la good but the battery don t keep charge
The fuses(2) are good and electricity crosses the battery but don t keep charge.
The company replaced the battery without see it but i liked To know if it s something To do with that problem
Best regards
My ebike will cut out. I then have to remove the battery and then put it back in. The bike will run ok for a minute or two but cuts out again. I remove the battery and put it back in. It cuts out again after a minute or so. The battery still shows 2-3 bars full. Is my 4 year old battery bad, or is it some other component?
This just happened to mine. Did you resolve your issue? any suggestions? It had 2 to 3 bars when it cut out. Took battery off and back on and it powered up but quickly cut out and never powered on again. My battery seems to charge. Gonna try again, but worried it will give out again.
Some excellent information and helpful advise.are you a cyclist or ebike user.
Regards
I have a new bolt pro ebike. At times it's fine oother times it'll just die on me. Today I charged it. I rode it it was fine then it would stop. The green lights wouldn't come on. I go home put charger unn port for battery they say it's fine. I'm getting angry maybe I should get a new battery but it's pretty new. I come home charger is red for 30 minutes I leave it's fine then it dies. What is rhis should I get a new charger,?
I have a rear motor hub kit 1000W 52volt and I've had it for about 2 years no issues untill few months ago I got a 03 error code on my ktlcd3 screen which after reading in the manual pointed to hall sensor issue, so because the sensors were only about a dollar each I just changed all three rather than testing anything and I was back on the road 100%. No just a few days ago I got the same error code so I changed the sensors again only this time I'm still getting the code 03 error. I checked out every wire took everything apart made sure everything was good nothing was touching anything it shouldn't be I changed the sensor in the throttle. Now when I plug everything back in I'm not getting the 03 error anymore but I'm also not getting any power from the throttle and on the screen is not recognizing any battery power even though I have two battery packs both 52 volt fully charged. What could I have done I never had an issue with the battery before showing on the screen as always been accurate. I'm going to keep checking everything again I just needed to take a break before I go crazy luckily for me I'm in Ontario and it's freezing cold outside so it's not that big of a deal but I was wondering if you had any ideas something I could check or do to get this thing going again. Thank you for your time have a nice day
I have a issue where i charge the battery to 100%. Runs great until it reaches around 86% then totally shuts off. Charge the battery to 100% and again runs great until it hits around 86%.
Checked the voltage after charging its right up there 52 Volts.(it a 48 Volt battery 15ah)
Hi, 52 Volts when you’re fully charged is good. However, what you should try to do is run the bike until it shuts down and then check the voltage again. If its under 48 Volts then you know you’re battery is damage, old or malfunctioning, as at 86% state of charge the voltage should still be very close to 52 Volts when no load is applied (i.e. its not being used).
I brought a new gogobest gf 700 on September, it worked ok on 1ts day, day 2 and the battery only got me 300 yards, now it deosn’t take a charge.The company “pogocycles” have not helped me much. I am entitled to a new battery but they aren’t bothered. So I spend £1200 on an ebike that don’t work.So I will be getting a new battery myself, initially I am getting £40 generic battery from AliExpress just to get the bike going again. I will have to cut the old battery out and wire new one in.I know it won’t go far on this battery, eventually I will get a quality battery.So on conclusion, buy your new ebike from a local shop, so you can return it if faulty.its a nightmare when you buy on line and things go wrong.
Rob